Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], September 30 : Palestinian Ambassador to India Abdullah Abu Shawesh welcomed US President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan, echoing the sentiments of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. However, Abu Shawesh emphasised that the plan's success hinges on Israel's actions on the ground.
Speaking at the Kerala Media Academy, Abu Shawesh stated that while the plan sounds promising theoretically, its practical implementation will determine its effectiveness.
"President Abbas is welcoming this issue, but we should wait to see how the Israelis will react. Theoretically, it sounds good, but practically on the ground, with their tanks, their bombardments, we must see whether they will show real commitment to this peace plan," he said.
The envoy is on a visit to Kerala on the invitation of the Kerala Media Academy. Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan welcomed him as he arrived in God's own country.
Trump, on Monday, during a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, announced the Gaza peace plan and said that "if accepted by Hamas," it means the "immediate end of the war itself."
Speaking at the Joint Conference, Netanyahu called a "peace" deal in Gaza impossible to achieve but thanked Trump for making it possible.
He said that when "our two countries" stand "shoulder to shoulder", we achieve the "impossible".The remarks came after the White House released a peace plan to end the two-year-old Gaza war.
Further, the Palestinian envoy strongly criticised Israel's military operations in Gaza, describing them as "genocide." He said Palestinians had been suffering continuous attacks for nearly two years.
Abu Shawesh strongly criticised Israel's military operations in Gaza, describing them as "genocide" and citing the significant loss of Palestinian lives and displacement.
"We are talking about 725 days of continuous massacres, genocide, textbook genocide conducted by the Israeli occupation in Gaza. Around 65,000 to 66,000 innocent Palestinians have lost their lives. Gaza lies under rubble, and the majority of people are displaced," Abu Shawesh told ANI.
He stressed that Israel's commitment to peace will be judged by its actions, not just words and accused the international community of treating Israel as a state above international law, which he believes hinders peace efforts.
The envoy also accused the international community of treating Israel as a state that is "above international law." He said, "It is so easy and we will not stop saying that when Israel abides by the international law and the international agreed resolutions, the peace will be there. But as long as Israel is being treated as a country or as a state above international law and has full impunity, the peace will not be brought back to the Middle East."
On the question of hostages, Abu Shawesh said both Palestinian and Israeli detainees must be released. He claimed that nearly 12,000 Palestinians are being held in Israeli prisons. "All of them are enduring torture and ill-treatment daily. Our position is clear: hostages should not be taken at all, whether Palestinian or Israeli," he said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi also welcomed the peace plan, describing it as a path towards long-term peace and development.
In a post on X, he wrote, "We welcome President Donald J. Trump's announcement of a comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict. It provides a viable pathway to long-term and sustainable peace, security and development for the Palestinian and Israeli people, as also for the larger West Asian region. We hope all concerned will support this effort to end conflict and secure peace."
https://x.com/narendramodi/status/1972862306993242208
The Palestinian envoy added that his government is engaging with BRICS members to secure full membership in the grouping and has sought India's strong support in this effort.